On the edge of the river, the mighty Mississippi
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Two boys spent their summers on the banks of the levy
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When the waters burst and broke the dam
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They were swallowed in a wave of sand
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They pulled the younger one out by the hand—
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(from) standing on his brother’s shoulders
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One nation under God, young and proud she stumbled
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With a trail of tears left by those who were outnumbered
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She said, «This land is your land, this land is mine, unless you are an Indian»
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But a higher ground we have tried to find—
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Standing on their shoulders
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Age after age
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Of heroes and soldiers
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It gives me sight and makes me brave
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Standing on their shoulders
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One man in the shadow of the white-washed cathedrals
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Weighed down by the system through the eye of the needle
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To his conscience bound he would not recant for the freedom of the Saints
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And truth is truth is truth
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And we are standing on his shoulders
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To the ones left behind who are picking up the pieces
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Of planes, bombs, and buildings of innocence and evil
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'Cause when the news and noise and flowers die
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And you still wake up alone
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There is a God who knows every tear you cry
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And this world is on his shoulders
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Age after age
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Of all the heroes and the soldiers
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So why am I so slow to change
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When I am standing on their shoulders?
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Age after age
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Of (all the) heroes and soldiers
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God, give me sight and make me brave…
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As I am standing on their shoulders |